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Thread: First thoughts on The Quest

  1. #51
    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Holm-Lupo View Post
    Yup, or the latest Blue Öyster Cult. Or the latest Toto. Even recent Yes live albums like Topographic Drama had some energy. I don't really understand what's happening with Yes. Especially when Jon Anderson is not part of the equation I would have expected them to do anything but go in an even MORE new age/twee/lullabyish direction
    Toto's XIV (including contributions from Billy Sherwood's big brother) is a great album. Possibly my favourite Toto album.

    I don't find TQ to be "new age/twee/lullabyish". All those terms are somewhat subjective, obviously, but there's nothing on TQ that I'd describe as New Age ambient music, of the sort Anderson has sometimes done. "Twee" is a very subjective term, so I won't touch that one! "Lullabyish"...? I'm a big fan of Lily Allen's first album, but I remember my ex complaining that all her melodies sound like nursery rhymes, so maybe I'm not the best person to comment here! OK, so how do we define "lullabyish"? I looked at Wikipedia, which offered...

    Lullabies tend to share exaggerated melodic tendencies, including simple pitch contours, large pitch ranges, and generally higher pitch. These clarify and convey heightened emotions, usually of love or affection. When there is harmony, infants almost always prefer consonant intervals over dissonant intervals. [...] Tonally, most lullabies are simple, often merely alternating tonic and dominant harmonies.

    In addition to pitch tendencies, lullabies share several structural similarities. The most frequent tendencies are intermittent repetitions and long pauses between sections. [...]

    Rhythmically, there are shared patterns. Lullabies are usually in triple meter or 6/8 time, giving them a "characteristic swinging or rocking motion." [...] The tempos of lullabies tend to be generally slow, and the utterances are short. [...]

    Lullabies almost never have instrumental accompaniments.
    I don't think that characterises most of TQ. It doesn't tend to use triple meter or 6/8. It's an album full of instrumental accompaniments, with long sections without vocals. I wouldn't say it has particularly simple pitch contours or melodies. Davison's vocal melodies on "The Ice Bridge" are really quite strange. On the other hand, it does have some slower tempos, it does have some songs about love and affection (from Davison). At times, I think Howe does offer up overly simple melodies -- that would be part of my criticism of "Music to My Ears" or "Mystery Tour" -- while I think he's more interesting with, say, "Leave Well Alone".

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
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  2. #52
    Quote Originally Posted by Frumious B View Post
    doing songs called “Screw Yourself”
    To be pedantic (which is my favourite hobby), initially called "Go Screw Yourself" and then, following complaint, re-titled "Screw". Great song...



    Henry
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  3. #53
    Quote Originally Posted by bondegezou View Post
    To be pedantic (which is my favourite hobby), initially called "Go Screw Yourself" and then, following complaint, re-titled "Screw"
    He should have titled it, "Both-Sides, Amirite?"
    Mongrel dog soils actor's feet

  4. #54
    Henry, you never stuck me as pedantic, but I could be mistaken. Usually you share your very good information in a positive way. Where would we be around here without you.

  5. #55
    [QUOTE=ThomasKDye;1067727]I dunno. Even Henry's review seemed a bit... couched. Listening to "Dare to Know," the "journey" of it's eluding me. And then hearing that the Sherwood/Davison tracks are "recognizably from the same pen" as the Arc of Life material (is that a good thing?), and then the REMAINING songs are MELLOW, my enthusiasm for this album has deflated some. I still like "The Ice Bridge," so maybe this album will have some gems like "Subway Walls" and that'll be that.

    To quote John Lennon, "As time went by, every one of them knew they'd get a little bit older and a little bit slower..."
    You think Subway walls was a gem?

  6. #56
    He contributed two and that's too much

  7. #57
    Quote Originally Posted by bondegezou View Post
    Toto's XIV (including contributions from Billy Sherwood's big brother) is a great album. Possibly my favourite Toto album.

    I don't find TQ to be "new age/twee/lullabyish". All those terms are somewhat subjective, obviously, but there's nothing on TQ that I'd describe as New Age ambient music, of the sort Anderson has sometimes done. "Twee" is a very subjective term, so I won't touch that one! "Lullabyish"...? I'm a big fan of Lily Allen's first album, but I remember my ex complaining that all her melodies sound like nursery rhymes, so maybe I'm not the best person to comment here! OK, so how do we define "lullabyish"? I looked at Wikipedia, which offered...



    I don't think that characterises most of TQ. It doesn't tend to use triple meter or 6/8. It's an album full of instrumental accompaniments, with long sections without vocals. I wouldn't say it has particularly simple pitch contours or melodies. Davison's vocal melodies on "The Ice Bridge" are really quite strange. On the other hand, it does have some slower tempos, it does have some songs about love and affection (from Davison). At times, I think Howe does offer up overly simple melodies -- that would be part of my criticism of "Music to My Ears" or "Mystery Tour" -- while I think he's more interesting with, say, "Leave Well Alone".

    Henry
    Yes. Just to be clear, all I've heard of The Quest are the two official releases, so my adjective use does not refer to that album as a whole, I am only refering to H&E plus the two singles off of TQ. All the adjectives I used are highly subjective and not subject to lexical meanings. Another adjective I would use, and that may be more precise in spite of its colloquialness, is "fluffy". While I consider at least parts of FFH to be actual, serious rock music - carefully and deliberately composed, performed and produced, H&E strikes me as fluffy/not serious. And I don't mean "not serious" as in "fun", but as in ... hmm, how can I put it... less than art, more like leisurely dabbling. Without getting into debates about "what is art?", and all that, I feel that Yes have, for the most part and with the occasional lapse, made music with clear artistic intention and ambition, whether it's the experimental prog of Relayer or the art-pop of 90125. But with H&E I don't feel the presence of that intention or ambition. The ideas are simplistic, the playing is lacking subtleties and the actual production seems almost entirely absent. And with these new singles, the last one in particular, I feel the same way. As was discussed in the other thread, Howe's guitar themes are hardly worthy of the term composition, they are merely very simple trips up and down the scales.

    And mind you Henry, I am saying all this as someone who ADORES Yes, and has bought every single release of theirs, so I am not saying it lightly. But Yes definitely should have hung it up either after FFH, or made From a Page a full-length, proper release.

  8. #58
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    It's easy to find the whole lot on the Internet now. I've pre-ordered the big box set, but couldn't resist a 'preview'. I pretty much agree with Henry's review. It's a different sounding album from YES, but I have to say I liked a lot of it, especially the first two tracks and Leave Well Alone. I also liked Minus the Man a lot. Towards the end it gets a bit more mellow.

    Certainly prefer it to H&E and From A Page.

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harbottle View Post
    It's easy to find the whole lot on the Internet now. I've pre-ordered the big box set, but couldn't resist a 'preview'. I pretty much agree with Henry's review. It's a different sounding album from YES, but I have to say I liked a lot of it, especially the first two tracks and Leave Well Alone. I also liked Minus the Man a lot. Towards the end it gets a bit more mellow.

    Certainly prefer it to H&E and From A Page.
    That is encouraging, thanks!

  10. #60
    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Holm-Lupo View Post
    Yes. Just to be clear, all I've heard of The Quest are the two official releases, so my adjective use does not refer to that album as a whole, I am only refering to H&E plus the two singles off of TQ. All the adjectives I used are highly subjective and not subject to lexical meanings. Another adjective I would use, and that may be more precise in spite of its colloquialness, is "fluffy". While I consider at least parts of FFH to be actual, serious rock music - carefully and deliberately composed, performed and produced, H&E strikes me as fluffy/not serious. And I don't mean "not serious" as in "fun", but as in ... hmm, how can I put it... less than art, more like leisurely dabbling. Without getting into debates about "what is art?", and all that, I feel that Yes have, for the most part and with the occasional lapse, made music with clear artistic intention and ambition, whether it's the experimental prog of Relayer or the art-pop of 90125. But with H&E I don't feel the presence of that intention or ambition. The ideas are simplistic, the playing is lacking subtleties and the actual production seems almost entirely absent. And with these new singles, the last one in particular, I feel the same way. As was discussed in the other thread, Howe's guitar themes are hardly worthy of the term composition, they are merely very simple trips up and down the scales.
    I thought you were just talking about TQ rather than H&E; I consider the former a considerable step up over the latter. I don't think "Dare to Know" is "fluffy": it is a deliberate piece with an artistic intention. If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you -- the author is dead, so authorial intent may not matter all that much, but I think we can infer an authorial intent to the piece. H&E may be another story. I don't think we yet know the full story of the album, but I my guess would be that Squire wanted something out, but wasn't providing an artistic drive.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Holm-Lupo View Post
    And mind you Henry, I am saying all this as someone who ADORES Yes, and has bought every single release of theirs, so I am not saying it lightly. But Yes definitely should have hung it up either after FFH, or made From a Page a full-length, proper release.
    You're not the first who thinks FaP should've been longer, but I think making FaP a full-length release would have meant changing the nature of the project.

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
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  11. #61
    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Holm-Lupo View Post
    At this point I have to say I officially give up on Yes. That Monkman tune had *something* going for it, marginally more than whatever was on H&E. That synth riff was memorable, and there were a couple iotas more energy there as well. But this one, Dare to Know, descends even deeper into that schmaltziness that was one of the things that marred H&E so badly. I just honestly don't understand what they are thinking or what they are trying to do. This is like bargain bin easy listening stuff dressed up with the vaguest intimations of prog. Goodbye, Yes.
    Its what they want .Not what you want,get over it.They are more than capable of constructing long form pieces

  12. #62
    If you are hoping for the glory years forget it.

  13. #63
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    Well, I've heard it now. For me, it's not terrible but I also don't think there are any 'great' songs on it. It's all a bit mid-tempo with only The Ice Bridge having any kind of get up and go. As suspected, to my ears it's a bit of a mash-up of Steve's Love Is, Arc of Life, and a bit of DBA put through a current Yes blender (a genius prediction, I know). The production sounds lovely, though (and that sound quality carried me through more than one track) and it's peppered with bits and pieces that sound cool but as a whole I find it a little meh. My fave track currently is A Living Island which is probably the most straightforward song on the album.

  14. #64
    I have only heard the two songs which have been released thus far. But when I heard The Ice Bridge, I hoped that the rest of the album would have more horsepower. Based upon comments within this thread, it seems perhaps The Ice Bridge is the least sleepy tune on the record. So I am still going to buy the record, but I have prepared myself for something languorous.

  15. #65
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wil View Post
    Well, I've heard it now. For me, it's not terrible but I also don't think there are any 'great' songs on it. It's all a bit mid-tempo with only The Ice Bridge having any kind of get up and go. As suspected, to my ears it's a bit of a mash-up of Steve's Love Is, Arc of Life, and a bit of DBA put through a current Yes blender (a genius prediction, I know). The production sounds lovely, though (and that sound quality carried me through more than one track) and it's peppered with bits and pieces that sound cool but as a whole I find it a little meh. My fave track currently is A Living Island which is probably the most straightforward song on the album.
    This is starting to make me think of Queen's Made In Heaven - an album with one, count 'em, ONE up-tempo rock number on it. Granted, the lead singer was dead and the rest of the band were scrounging for workable material, so they at least had an excuse. I'd really hoped Sherwood would bring his Valley of the Windmill game instead of his sludgy midtempo game, but there you have it. I'll buy it, I'm sure it has a couple of other decent tunes, but I'm no longer exactly counting the days. I'll probably wake up and say, "Oh, it's out now. I suppose I'd better buy it."
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

  16. #66
    Quote Originally Posted by floyd umma gumma View Post
    I have only heard the two songs which have been released thus far. But when I heard The Ice Bridge, I hoped that the rest of the album would have more horsepower. Based upon comments within this thread, it seems perhaps The Ice Bridge is the least sleepy tune on the record. So I am still going to buy the record, but I have prepared myself for something languorous.
    I'm guessing you're a fan of Ummagumma, so you clearly don't mind something languorous!

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
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  17. #67
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Here's a review (not mine, I passed on this one...)

    https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/yes-...nsideout-sony/
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  18. #68
    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Here's a review (not mine, I passed on this one...)

    https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/yes-...nsideout-sony/
    "The problem with a band like Yes, with its stellar track record, is what happens when they release albums containing songs the classic line-up wouldn’t have touched? On The Quest Yes come over like a cross between Asia and a 1980s AOR band with prog leanings. Is this the destiny awaiting a once great band?"

    Umm... has this guy not listened beyond Drama? Yes have already released plenty of projects that meet this criteria lol

  19. #69
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    Well.... I heard it.

  20. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean View Post
    Well.... I heard it.
    ...On the X?

  21. #71
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    Most likely on the DropboX

  22. #72
    Quote Originally Posted by auxfnx View Post
    "The problem with a band like Yes, with its stellar track record, is what happens when they release albums containing songs the classic line-up wouldn’t have touched? On The Quest Yes come over like a cross between Asia and a 1980s AOR band with prog leanings. Is this the destiny awaiting a once great band?"

    Umm... has this guy not listened beyond Drama? Yes have already released plenty of projects that meet this criteria lol
    The review compares particularly "A Living Island" to Asia. I can't think of an Asia song that sounds particularly like "A Living Island". I think it's a lazy comparison: people go, "Oh, Downes and Sherwood as in Asia, so...". That said, the song does sound like late '70s/early '80s AOR, but it's more of an American West Coast AOR sound than the energy of Asia.

    Overall, I don't hear a lot of Asia on the album. Indeed, with a common criticism being people wanting more bpms, I think an injection of Asia-style music might be want some listeners want!

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
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  23. #73
    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Here's a review (not mine, I passed on this one...)

    https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/yes-...nsideout-sony/
    Another review... this one likes half the songs the Velvet Thunder one doesn't, but doesn't like half the songs the Velvet Thunder one does! https://webcache.googleusercontent.c...yes-the-quest/

    Henry
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  24. #74
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    This last review is very well articulated and I mainly completely agree with everything the reviewer expressed here.

  25. #75
    Quote Originally Posted by floyd umma gumma View Post
    .... languorous.
    I had to look up that word. Don’t laugh.

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